Dragon Fruit Nutrition, Calories and Health Benefits
Other names for dragon fruit include pitaya, pitahaya and night blooming cactus. These dazzling hot pink fruits hang delicately from several species of cactus. They flower only at night and because of that, only bats, moths and other nocturnal creatures fertilize the flower that wilts by morning. These cacti are climbers and have both basal roots and aerial roots. If the growing conditions are right, the cacti produce flowers and dragon fruit three to six times a year. These natives of South America now grow in hot areas in Southern Asia.
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clipart
You'll find many nutrients contained in the dragon fruit. The most prominent is the heart healthy monounsaturated fat. The fruit contains a gram of fiber per serving and 3.6 ounces has approximately 60 calories. There's also a trace of plant protein in the dragon fruit.
In addition, dragon fruit has many vitamins and minerals. You'll find it not only contains vitamin C, but the vitamin C is far easier for the body to absorb than it is from any pill you'd take to supplement your nutrition. If you take dried dragon fruit supplements, the vitamin C per gram is ten times that of its hydrated counterpart.
Dragon fruit also contains other nutrients such as riboflavin, niacin, phosphorous, iron, calcium and vitamin A. It also contains vitamins B1, B2 and B3. It has a high amount of antioxidants particularly those called phytoalbumins. Antioxidants protect the cells from damaging free radicals.
Dragon Fruit Nutrition Converts to Real Health Benefits
Besides the antioxidants that help prevent many diseases including cancer, dragon fruit also has a beneficial effect on those with diabetes. The consumption of dragon fruit aids in the control of the body's glucose blood sugar levels, particularly in type 2 diabetes. It serves as a substitute for rice for many diabetics.
The vitamin C in the fruit promotes healing of cuts bruises and improves your immune system. Vitamin B1 aids your body in metabolizing carbohydrates. The B3 helps lower the level of bad cholesterol in your blood and improves the overall appearance of your skin. You can eat the seed of the dragon fruit and it won't hurt you. In fact, they contain a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid.
The fruit helps lower high blood pressure and improves your eyesight. It also contains substances that help you clear your body of heavy metal toxins by excreting the toxins. The dragon fruit also can aid in improving eyesight and is beneficial for other parts of your body including your teeth and bones.
Serving Dragonfruit
While the delectable flavor and easy method of preparation should entice you to eat dragon fruit freshly cut, you can also purchase dried dragon fruit. When you serve the fruit, you simply cut it into halves. You don't eat the skin, since it's far too tough to chew or digest, but scoop out the fleshy interior. Each type of dragon fruit has a slightly different flavor and one may suit your taste better than another one will. Many people find the red dragon fruit with the red flesh is the most appetizing.
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